For the third consecutive day, scores of students continued with their sit-in protest on the campus of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) at Basar in Nirmal district on Thursday refusing to budge until all their demands, including appointment of a full-fledged Vice-Chancellor for the university, and urgent measures to address a plethora of issues such as lack of proper amenities, shortage of faculty and conducive academic atmosphere are met.
The university campus was rocked by a massive sit-in protest by the agitated students for the third day in a row as the talks between the district authorities and the representatives of the students governing council failed to bear fruit late on Wednesday evening.
The agitated students squatted inside the campus near the main entrance on Thursday even as a large posse of police restricted the movement of outsiders into the campus at the main gate.
Amid sloganeering, the protesters displayed empty water bottles in a symbolic protest against what they alleged attempts to “block” water supply by the university authorities to foil their peaceful protest in support of their demands. However, sources in the university denied the allegations of blocking water supply.
CPI national secretary K Narayana was taken into preventive custody by the police when he arrived at the entrance of the RGUKT to express his solidarity with the students’ agitation. He was shifted to a nearby police station, sources said.
We have launched the sit-in protest to press for our genuine demands such as provision of requisite amenities, laptops, uniforms and hygienic food, said a student of the six-year integrated course, who did not wish to be identified.
“It is deplorable that the persons at the helm are attributing evil motives to our peaceful apolitical agitation, which is aimed at drawing the attention of the State government to the sorry state of affairs in RGUKT,” he rued.
Speaking to The Hindu over phone, CPI national secretary Mr Narayana alleged that the callous apathy of the State government towards the RGUKT led to widespread protests by the students to save the premier institution set up with an objective to mainly serve the rural students and graduate them with a B.Tech Degree.
Instead of addressing the genuine demands of the agitated students, the persons at the helm are trying to stifle the voice of the distraught students and terming their demands as “silly” in a dictatorial manner, he charged, lamenting that even the parents of the agitated students were being denied permission to meet their children.
“The authorities should desist from exerting pressure on the agitated students to call off their stir,” he said, demanding that the State government find a lasting solution to the recurring problems of students and streamline the functioning of the university.
RGUKT officials concerned could not be reached for their comment despite repeated phone calls by The Hindu.
